Centrifugal vaccum-pump.



Patented Jan. 16, I900;

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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B. THOENS.

GENTRIFUGAL VACUUM PUMP.

(Application filed Tune 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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N0. 64l,56|. Patented Jan. I6, 1900.

- B. THOENS.

' CENTRIFUGAL VACUUM PUMP.

Application filed June 16, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

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BUROHARD THOENS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CENTRIFUGAL VACUUM-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,561, dated January16, 1900. Application filed J'une16,1899. Serial No. 720,832. (Nomodel.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BUROHARD THOENS, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCentrifugal Vacuum-Pumps 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in vacuum-pumps, the common objectof which is to exhaust the air or other gas from a vessel in order todiminish the pressure for various purposes, such as boiling orevaporating liquids or solutions at a reduced temperature correspondingto the degree of exhaustion,or for compound condensing-engines, &c.

My vacuum-pump may be used to advantage for impregnating intimately anduniformly liquids with gases, such as sugar solution with fumes ofsulfur or carbonic-acid gases, (to.

In principle my pump differs from vacuumpumps ordinarily employed. Theprinciple I employ to obtain these results is well known. I takeadvantage of the fact that a liquid at a high velocity imparts thatvelocity to the air or other gas through which it flows and carries suchair or gas along with it by induced currents.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same partsare indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my invention. Fig. 2represents a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 represents aninverted plan view of the centrifugal pumping-wheel.

A represents a cylindrical pump-casing closed at its top by means of acover B and havinga flaring or bell-shaped bottom end A. A lateralopening provided with a connection 0 is provided upon one side of thecylindrical portion of the pump-casing A for the attachment of asuction-pipe from the vessel or other point to be exhausted or fromwhich the air or gas is to be drawn by the action of the pump. Thepump-casing is provided with radial ribs A having perforated lugs a attheir outer ends, by means of which the said casing is supported uponthe flange E of an open liquid-tank E by means of bolts e, which passthrough the said perforated lugs upon the ribs A and throughperforations in the said flange E upon the upper edge of the tank E.

F represents a concavo-convex circular plate having a central circularopening F and having a plurality of radial lugs f ex tending from itsperiphery and perforated for the passage of bolts. The periphery of theflaring lower end of the pump-casing is like wise provided with aplurality of radially extending lugs a, also perforated for the passageof bolts, and the concavo-convex plate F is secure by means of the saidlugs be neath and concentric with the flaring end A of the pump-casingand spaced at a short distance therefrom about their peripheries bymeans of perforated spacing-blocks a through which and the saidperforated lugs a and f bolts f pass and secure the said plate to thesaid flaring lower end of the pumpcasing, thus forming a narrow annularspace 1", as seen most clearly in Fig. 1. The concavo-conveX plate F isarranged with its concave side uppermost, forming the bottom of thepump-chamber, the central'opening in the said plate F constituting aliquid-suction opening for the pump. The narrow annular peripheralopening f constitutes the discharge-opening of the pump.

H represents a circular diaphragm of a concavo-convex form, its concaveside being underneath and opposite the plate F, the said diaphragm beingsupported rigidly beneath the flaring lower end A of the pump-casingconcentric therewith by means of bolts 71, which pass through bosses hand a on the said diaphragm and the said flaring portion of thepump-casing, respectively, by means of which bosses the said diaphragmand easing are spaced, forming an annular passage A within thepump-casing between these two portions of the apparatus. The diaphragm Hhas a slightly more sudden flare than the portion H of the pump-casing,which causes the annular passage A to become narrower toward its outlet.As will be seen, this passage A communicates with the upper portion ofthe pump-casing and with the outlet connection O. The periphery of thediaphragm H is provided with a sharp edge H which extends into, but notthrough, the annular discharge-opening f and divides the approach to thesaid annular discharge-opening into two distinct passages, which mergeinto the said discharge-openin g, the upper passage h leading from theair or gas suction chamber through the annular passage and the lowerpassage 7t leading from the liquid-suction opening F through thepump-chamber K the direction of flow of the air or gas and of theliquid, respectively, being indicated by arrows in Fig. 1.

The diaphragm H is provided with a central cylindrical stem II, having acentral opening for the passage of the pump-shaft I. This pump-shaft Ihas a boss i thereon, which rests upon the central stem of the saiddiaphragm, and beneath the said diaphragm and conforming in shape to theconcave outline thereof a pumping-wheel K is mounted upon the lower endof the shaft I. This pumping-wheel is splined or keyed upon the shaft torotate therewith and secured by means of a nut and washer or any othersuitable means, as shown. This pumping-wheel K, as shown most clearly inFigs. 1 and 3, is provided with a plurality of concave radial blades 7t,having their under passages cut away about the center of the wheel, asseen at K", and having their outer ends tapering to a narrow point, thusconforming to the outwardly-contracted shape of the pump-chamber Kformed between the diaphragm H and the plate F. The shaft I has a pulleyI or other suitable driving means mounted upon its upper end, which endis centered and securely held by means of a set screw 1 which engagesthe arched frame 1 mounted above and rigidly secured to the pump-casing.

The operation of the device is as follows: The centrifugal wheel K israpidly revolved in such a direction that the convex surfaces of theblades constitute the forward faces thereof, which acting upon theliquid in the tank during the rotation of the wheel draws the liquidinto the pn n1p-chamber K through the central opening F in the plate Fand throws such liquid at great velocity by its centrifugal actionoutwardly through the annular space between the edge of the diaphragm Hand the plate F to the dischargepassage f", where it comes in contact.with a film of air or gas which is drawn outwardly from the annularpassage A through the restricted passage h". This film of air. or gasthus coming into contact with the rapidlymoving liquid, which isconstantly being drawn in through the central suction-opening F anddischarged. through the opening f causes a strong suction through theconnection 0, leading to the pump-casing A, from the vessel or othersource connected to the pump-casing, producing a vacuum or adegree ofexhaustion in suchvessel depending on the velocity of the liquid beingthrown off by the pump-wheel.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the contracted form of thepassages 70 and h causes the force and velocity of the liquid and theair or gas to be very much increased at these points, so that a verystrong suction maybe obtained, and this is a very important feature ofmy invention, as is also the feature of the annular form of thepassages.

When used for exhausting the air or gas from a vessel as the primaryobject, the tank should be open, so that the air or gas drawn out by thecurrent of liquid, after mixing with the liquid for awhile, may escape;but when the device is used for the primary object of impregnating aliquid with a gas the tank should be closed and provided with a centralinlet-opening in. its bottom. for liquid and with an outlet-opening forthe gasified liquid in its side at a point on the level of the liquid.The level of the liquid must at all times be somewhat above the level ofthe dischargcopening f of the pump-casing in order to insure the perfectoperation of the device.

The construction herein shown and described may be varied in many waysas todetails of form and construction for accomplishing the samepurpose, and I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exactdetails herein shown and described, as many modifications might be madewhich could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a vacuum-pump,the combination with a receptacle for liquid; of apump-casin g suspended therein; a wheel-chamberin the lower portion ofsaid casing having a suction-opening in its bottom and adischarge-opening at its periphery; a diaphragm above said cham her; anair or gas passage above said dia phragm communicating with saidperipheral discharge opening; and a bladed wheel mounted to rotatewithin said wheel-chamber, substantially as described.

2. In a vacuum-pump,the combination with a receptacle for liquid; of apump-casing suspended therein; a wheel-chamberin the lower portion ofsaid casing having a suction-opening in its bottom and a continuousdischargeopening at its periphery; a diaphragm above said chamber; anair or gas passage above said diaphragm communicating with saidperipheral discharge opening; and a bladed wheel mounted to rotatewithin said wheelchamber, with its blades free from contact with thesides of said chamber, substantially as described.

3. Inavacuum-pump,thecombinationwith a body of liquid; and a pump-casing suspended therein, said pump-casing having a watersuction opening, aperipheral discharge-opening, and an annular opening, concentric toandcommunicating with the said dischargeopening also communicating withthe vessel to be exhausted; of a centrifugal pumping- IIO wheel mountedin said casing, and arranged to cause a flow of water outwardly throughsaid peripheral discharge-opening, substantially as described.

4. In a vaeuum-pump,the' combination with a liquid-containing vessel; apump-casing mounted therein and having a bell-shaped lower end, saidcasing having a pump-chamber provided with a central suetion-opening,

an annular air or gas passage above said pump --chamber, narrowingoutwardly in a cross section, and a peripheral dischargeopening withwhich said pump-chamber and said air orgas passage communicate; arotaryshaft mounted in said casing; and a bladed wheel mounted upon said shaftin the pumpehamber, substantially as described.

5. In a vaeuum-pump,the combination with a body of liquid; a pump-easingsuspended therein, said pump-casing having a water-suction opening, aperipheral discharge-opening, and an annular opening narrowing outwardin cross-section, concentric to and eommuni eating with the saiddischarge-opening, also communicating with the vessel to be exhausted;of a centrifugal pumping-wheel mounted in said casing, and arranged tocause a flow of water outwardly through said peripheraldischarge-opening,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURCHARD THOENS.

